Lancaster student Ella Wadsworth has graduated with her guide dog Katie in a move that is inspiring others to follow her lead.

Ella, who is from Kendal, has gained a degree in Religious Studies despite her sight loss and she never lets her disability prevent her from achieving her goals.

“It’s such a good university on your doorstep that I had to come to Lancaster.”

She now plans to study equine behaviour and the art of “horse whispering” at Hartsop Farm Equine Training Centre in Oxfordshire.

This will ultimately lead Ella to fulfil her dream of working in the field of Equine and animal assisted therapy.

“This is a method of using horses for therapy which combines my interest in counselling and my love of animals. Katie will be coming too but she’s very good with horses!”

Ella was previously at Lancaster Girls’ Grammar School before coming to Lancaster University, where her golden retriever attracted a lot of attention.

“Katie had to get used to campus just like me but because I’ve got a guide dog, everyone knows us and she’s always getting her picture taken.”

Ella enjoyed her course and got help from both the university library and her mum Jane to enable her to read the ancient texts she needed to study.

“The tutors were passionate about their subject which was wonderful, so I really loved my course and I’ll be sad to leave.”

She has her own horse called Warrior which she rides regularly at home in Kendal as well as teaching theory at her local pony club.

“People are surprised I’ve got a degree and it’s made some of them think that maybe they too could go to university.”